Surfboard Anatomy Explained

Surfboard Anatomy Explained

If you are into surfing it is essential that you know the parts of your surfboard. Let us see what your surfboard looks like. Whatever be the type of board that you are using the names of the various parts are the same.

1. Deck

The deck is the top portion of your surfboard. This is where you stand or lie down. The deck is usually waxed before surfing for better grip. Some surfers will use a traction pad on the deck for better grip. You can see on some boards that there is a convexity in the board. These boards are called domed boards. The others are called flat boards.

2. Nose

The nose, as you must have guessed by now, is the front portion of the board which stays raised out of the water. On the shortboards, guns, and fishes, the nose is pointed. On the funboards and longboards, it is rounded. Some people use a surfboard nose guard which will protect the board from ding and the surfer from a nasty poke.

3. Tail

The tail is the rear portion of the surfboard. There are different shaped tails which give different kinds of performance while surfing. The leash plug sits on the tail. It is set into the deck at the tail. This is where the leash is passed through leach plug and fixed to the board.

4. Rails

Rails are the edges of the surfboard. They run from the nose to the tail. In different tails shapes, they end at different places. The rails have different shapes. The edges of the boards are shaped differently to get different levels of performance.

5. Stringer

This is a piece of strengthening piece that runs from the nose to the tail in the foam boards. This is usually made of wood. The modern-day boards made of epoxy may not have a stringer.

6. Fins

Fins are those small curved bits that poke from beneath your surfboard. They help to steer the surfboard. They are curved in shape. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and flexibilities depending on the surfer’s needs.

There are two types of fins. The glassed-in fins and removable fins. They both perform in the same way. The only difference is that the removable fins can be removed.

The removable fin is fixed to the board using the fin plug at the bottom of the fins. The fin plug is inserted into the fin slot and screwed tight into place.